What Your Workspace Says About You

You have likely heard the statement that a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind. In the workplace, nothing could be further from the truth. However, how you keep your cubicle or desk at work will say a lot about you in just a glance. That is why it is important to have the right look in order to project a correct message about you and your work habits. Unless your company has a set of guidelines of what to fill your space with and what not to, here are some hints on what you may want to focus on in your space at the office.

1 – A Messy Desk Says You Are Disorganized

There is no nice way of saying it. If your desk appears cluttered and covered with everything

from work files to candy wrappers, you are telling others that you are not very orderly. You are also telling them you don’t take care of small details, nor do you care about cleaning up after yourself. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter if you are on top of everything and that you can juggle a number of tasks simultaneously, your workspace does not say that.

Even if your family and the guy who works with you on several projects can vouch for you on

your abilities, anyone walking past your desk is going to judge you solely on how you keep your workspace. It’s not fair and it’s not accurate, but that is the way it goes so it is imperative to have order on your desk. Neat stacks of files, garbage in the garbage can and nothing out of place will say more than you can imagine.

2 – The Visible Traits That Your Desk Reveals

Research shows that a clean and tidy desk identifies the owner as being organized, intelligent, mature, competent, driven, focused and disciplined who values their position and has a strong work ethic. The interesting thing is that not all organized people have these other traits. Call it the unfair way you are being perceived in the workplace. Even if you are a slob at home, the place you need to hide that trait is at work because everyone is viewed according to the perception others have about them.

This includes you. It kind of makes you want to just work from home, doesn’t it? As it turns out, if all you need to do to break the perception of being less than perfect is to make your cubicle look perfect, you’ve got it made. That is, unless you are exactly the way your workspace makes you out to be. So, in order to remedy the ‘slob’ perception, keep a clean workspace but leave a few things out to look as if you are engaged and working on something. Even if that project is done. Remember, just a glance at your desk as someone walks by is all the time you have to send the right signal.

3 – Don’t Forget The Small Stuff

In addition to the appearance of your desktop, what is around it will give some visual clues about your personality. This is where personalizing your work space can benefit how others see you. Again, unless there is a company policy against it, make the cubicle your space but don’t overdo it. Keep posters, calendars or anything that hangs over your desk appropriate to the work area and the mixture of gender/culture of the office. If you have a family or pets or a best friend, small photos on display send good messages about you.

The same goes for anything else that says a bit more about your interests and personality. If you have a particular award or something significant to the journey to this desk job, put it on display. Anything connected to a specific humanitarian cause is good as is a photo of you as a child with your parent and/or family. A vacation photo, a few souvenirs and that should be good. Always forgo the urge to show off and focus more on showing the good side about you. Plus, refrain from displaying expensive valuables that could disappear.

4 – Attention To Detail

Since we’re talking about giving your desk an extreme makeover, don’t forget some of the

details that others may pick up as they stroll past your cubicle. If you drink coffee, do not leave a day old half cup sitting on your desk. The same goes for that sandwich you didn’t finish either. Dispose of these items properly and away from your desk so they don’t start to bring attention to themselves by starting to smell bad.

Also, organize the drawers in your desk as well. As tempting as it may be to just stuff everything in one big drawer so the mess is out of sight, ask yourself what would happen if a co-worker had to find a file inside that drawer? Do a complete spring cleaning and re-label where necessary because although you know your system, chances are no one else will and they may actually need to when you are sick or on vacation.

Important After Thoughts Just like the way you dress on the job says a lot about you and how you perceive the way you fit into the office culture, the appearance of your desk and workspace says more about you and how others perceive your attitude about your job. It may make more sense if your desk is visible to customers and is in a high traffic location because your work space would then be a projection of the company you work for to those visiting the business.

However, when your desk is in a row of cubicles or in an office in the back, the way it looks will only be scrutinized by fellow workers and management. It may not seem fair, but when your workspace is in that location, you need it to say the best possible thing about you as it will be something you will be judged on. That judgment may end up rearing its head when it comes to a raise or any kind of career advancement within the same company..